23 Secret Hideouts to get SH*T DONE

As the most dreaded week of every semester dawns upon every University student, I thought I should probably try to be cool to do this post up, instead of meeting assignment deadlines and flipping past the preface segment of my textbook.

Recess, used to be our favorite word until we grew up. Recess week, is a bitch. We all know it. The endless hours of mugging, the sleepless nights, and the ungodly mornings just chope to a seat at Starbucks, or the reading rooms. Speaking of which,This is the common Utown situation: luggage, check. Blanket, check. Cloth used to sleep on the floor, check. Toiletries, check. Seriously? Isn’t it ironic how these people are just hobo-ing around, and just being plain inconsiderate? Because studying at Starbucks or Coffee Bean is too mainstream, here’s a list of hipster places you can consider to spend your recess week at, and be a professional closet mugger like me. Because, all my friends really believe that I eat all day without studying.

If you need WIFI,

Joe & Dough

Joe and Dough may be a rather commercialized cafe, but they are my current go-to spot for a convenient cuppa and meal.

The Coffee Daily

One of my favorite hangouts to get some work done. The pretty rainbow cake going at $10 a slice, free flow old school biscuits and great coffee. I say, go for the Dirty Latte when you’re there. The espresso ice cubes ensure that your latte won’t get diluted when the ice melts. Instead, the opposite happens! Free Wifi. Limited charging stations. Good Coffee.The Coffee Daily

Envy Coffee

Envy is my go-to place AFTER lunch, simply because the space is rather cosy, and studying during lunch hours is gonna stress you out more than your readings. Situated right in the heart of all the offices at One-North, it’s definitely a go-to place for many of the office workers for lunch. Check out my review here. Free Wifi. Available Charging points. Good Coffee.Envy Coffee1 Fusionopolis Link
Weekdays ONLY: 7.30am – 6pm

Old Hen Coffee Bar

The best thing that has happened on Rangoon Road. FREE WIFI at Old Hen. So now, you can enjoy their amazing Cold Brew (I heard they’ve got a new Dark Cocoa Brew!), while working hard at your assignments! Review here!
Free Wifi. Available Charging points. COLD BREW!Old Hen Coffee Bar88 Rangoon Rd, 218374
Weekdays (Closed on Tues): 12pm to 10pm
Weekends: 10am to 10pm

Brunches Cafe

Undoubtedly, one of the prettiest cafe I’ve been to in Singapore. That retro theme. THAT CAR in the cafe. And look at these cute booths. A very photogenic place, however, the waffles I had previously was a huge disappointment. Haven’t tried their Brunch though, might be good since that’s what they are named.
Free Wifi. Pretty place!Brunches Cafe96 Rangoon Rd, S218381
Monday – Sunday: 9am – 7pm (closed on Tues)

Jewel Cafe

For someone who orders mocha at every cafe, Jewel cafe has proved its worth by being the undisputed champion of all iced mochas in Singapore for me. Twice. So I guess it’s safe for me to say that they are pretty consistent. Amazing ambience they have at the Rangoon Road outlet. Free Wifi. AMAZING mocha. Great ambience.Jewel Cafe and Bar129 Rangoon Road, Singapore 218407
Sunday to Thurs (closed on Monday): 9am – 10pm
Friday and Saturday: 9am – 11pm

Woodshed 204

By far the largest and quietest cafe I’ve been to. Located along Rangoon Road as well, Woodshed lies on the opposite end from the popular Old Hen Coffee.

Drury Lane

I’m actually hesitating to put Drury on this list because I LOVE how quiet this place is, and I just want it all to myself. Not only do they have great coffee, cakes and muffins, their revamped menu with SALTED EGG BENEDICT is quite an attraction!
Free Wifi, Limited Charging points. I LOVE THIS PLACE.Drury Lane94 Tg Pagar Rd, S088515
Mon – Tue: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Wed – Fri: 8:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sat – Sun: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Cosy interior, affordable brunch, albeit the rise in prices recently. They offer a pretty unique fare with brunch from other cuisines, besides their popular eggs benedict! The array of bakes behind the glass also looks pretty damn enticing. A great place to chill and be at on a weekday, I suppose. The weekends just get overly crowded. Free Wifi. I didn’t spot any charging stations. Love the place for the bicycle stands outside. Review here!Penny University402 East Coast Road, Singapore 428997
Tuesday – Thursday: 8.30am – 6pm
Friday and Saturday: 8.30am – 12am
Sunday: 8.30am – 9pm

Jimmy Monkey CafeIf you’re looking for the feel of Melbourne, or a nice cafe tucked far away from the heartlands, Jimmy Monkey, is here for you. It can get rather inaccessible, just like Hoopla and Revolution Coffee, but the trip down will be worth it because it’s really a nice, quiet place to chill and get some work done. I thought the prices in this cafe were a little on the high side, i.e. >$15 for most mains.
Free Wifi. Not sure about charging ports. Nice, quiet ambience.Jimmy Monkey9 One-north Gateway, #01-51 one-north residences, S138643
Monday to Saturday: 8.30am to 10.30pm
Sunday: 8.30am to 6.30pm

Pretty place. VERY PRETTY PLACE, which serves up damn good food, however a little on the pricier side. Waiting time can be a pain too, but no complaints for me since they’ve got wifi for me to get some work done before my food arrives! Review here!

Oh, if you’re deciding to study here over the weekends, don’t. This place will get so crowded, I’m sure you’ll get judged for studying there.

Cheng’s Gourmet Food BarCongrats to all NUS students. We finally can get comfort IKEA food in our back yard! Besides, Cheng’s do have WIFI and charging points supplied for you guys too! If only they served up better coffee and desserts! I’ll be a permanent resident there. Review here!Cheng’s Gourmet Food Bar28 Clementi Road, Singapore 129754
Daily, 11am – 11pm

Well, some times we just want some place quiet and nice to get our readings or notes done, without the need of any wifi. I get that, sometimes. So, here’s a list of amazing cafes to study at without any wifi!

No wifi:

CielPatisserieA small, humble little hut tucked in amongst the neighborhood of Hougang/ Lorong Ah Soo. A perfect place to chill out if you’re looking for some where with amazing bakes and a quiet ambience! Great affordable cakes and tarts, and remember to get a tea to go along with your sweets! Be sure the try the Mt Fuji, or the Bombe!Ciel Patisserie124 Hougang Avenue 1, 530124
Tues to Thu:11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Fri – Sat: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sun: 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm

23 JumpinMy all time favorite go-to spot to get some work done. 23 jumpin not only serves up a homely fare, they do have amazing coffees too! No wifi, but there are available charging ports for you to get your phone charged or something! Certainly a nice quiet place to chill out in, especially on a weekday afternoon! Reviews here and here!23 JumpinThe Commerce @ Irving, #01-25, 1 Irving Place, Singapore 369546
Tuesday to Sunday: 11am to 9pm

WhiskCafeEntering this cafe makes me go into zen mode because the soft lighting, and white interior makes me feel like I’m the most docile creature on earth. A perfect place to grab a book to read, or get some work done! Tea is not bad, but the cakes are a little too overpriced.Whisk Cafe58 Seng Poh Road, 160058
Mon : Closed
Tues – Thurs : 9am – 7pm
Fri – Sat : 9am – 11pm
Sun : 9am – 9pm

BreadYardCome here for an affordable brunch menu, just before you commence your studying session. I’ll posting up a review on Bread Yard soon, so stay tuned! I loved the clear glass panels at bread yard, making the space feel very clear and refreshing. About the right ambience to study in. But the coffee.. could be A LOT better.Bread Yard1 Fusionopolis Place, #01-23/24 Galaxis, 138632
Monday to Saturday: 8am to 7pm
Sunday: 9am to 2.30pm

Chew TheFatIn house baked banana muffins, apple crumble and brownies were mmm… So good! They even have piping hot mains now too! What makes Chew stand apart from its competitors, besides his name, is that this place do not sell any coffee! They serve all sorts of teas, and it’s best if you could pair it with some desserts. What a good break from all that reading eh?Chew The FatBlock 6 Everton Park #01-18, Singapore 080006
Tuesday to Sunday: 11am to 9pm, closed on Monday

Whisk and PaddleA little ulu for most, but you lucky shits staying in Punggol. This is located at Tebing Lane. What an amazing, amazing space. An extremely spacious cafe with an amazing view to boot. The downside though, there’s no air con, the sea breeze could suffice I guess! Review here!Whisk and Paddle10 Tebing Lane, 828836
Tuesday-Friday: 3:30pm-10:30pm
Saturday/Sunday/Ph: 9:30am-10:30pm

BLACK&INK SALTED EGG ENCASED IN THEIR HOUSE BLEND ESPRESSO MUFFIN EXTERIOR?! WOW. I’ll just head to Black and Ink, even without looking for a space to study. The cafe is a little tight, but on afternoons, you could probably use a space to finish a reading or 2 while enjoying a cuppa made by barista Big Roy, and their bakes. Recommendations? GET THE UNDER THE TABLE CAKE if you’re a banana lover, or even if you’re not. JUST GET THAT. Otherwise, their other bakes are pretty dope too!BLACK&INK
168 Changi Rd, 419730
Monday to Sunday: 9am to 7pm, Closed on Tuesdays!

ArteaseI love Artease, especially the one at Serangoon. Because I miss having bubble tea, and I’ve always loved sipping on bubble tea while doing my work. The place is usually quiet and nice. One of my to-go spots when I need a drink and get my work done. Perfect.Artease

I think some of the above mentioned establishments will hate me for this list. Please don’t make me the villain okay? It’s only considerate for you to leave when the place is getting crowded, or during peak hours like lunch or dinner. I’ve tried to exclude places with space constraints such as that of One Man Coffee or Habitat Coffee, so that you can probably linger at these places a little longer to finish up your revision!

Meanwhile, study hard y’all! Most importantly, enjoy the process of studying, don’t be too hard on yourselves and remember to nourish your souls with some good food and coffee!

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2 Comments

Callie

June 14, 2016

Hi, I live at commonwealth and I’ve always went to this small airconditioned homemade gelato cafe that is so damn good. It is near the mrt and is a few walk away from the supermarket. Its located in one of the shop houses and they sell a scoop of regular gelato for $3.80. They even sell a jar of tea that you can share, waffles, ice cream on a cone, and even coffee. They don’t usually have much customers so the store is pretty much empty. The atmosphere is comfy and the smell from the caffeine just makes the mood better. Its a small store but I pretty much sat there for a good solid few hours doing loads of work, the people are nice and it’s pretty much a good spot to study at. Hope this contributes to the places to study at !

There is this place for students to study at amk. Super effective and affordable, go check it out http://www.desknextdoor.com best thing is they provide wifi, water dispenser, charging point. Super peaceful and comfortable